sundance

Get Mortified with Ed Helms, Mo’Nique & Will Forte

What do Ed Helms and Mo’Nique have in common? OK, yes…they were in two of the biggest films of 2009, but there’s more to it than that. They’ve both got amazingly embarrassing childhood photos. And better yet? They’re ready to share them with you on THE MORTIFIED SESSIONS.

So You Think You Can Dubstep?

Garo Sparo, couture fashion designer.

We know what you’re thinking: “How can I possibly celebrate my love for club culture in between the all new episodes of UNLEASHED BY GARO?!”

Here it is, ladies, gents and gender benders — The Gossamer Swatch Session Mix Tape. Coming to you once a week as tribute to couture fashion designer Garo Sparo. Watch as Garo, part-time psychiatrist and full-time dream weaver, helps his clients battle their inhibitions and unleash their true selves in our all new original series UNLEASHED BY GARO. Fridays 9p.

Check out this week’s mix tape below.

Introducing Garo, the next big thing on Sundance Channel

If you don’t already know Garo, then you’re in for a real treat next Friday night when we premiere our new series UNLEASHED BY GARO. A fashion designer and skilled artisan (think complicated corsetry and lace work), Garo creates outfits for everything from runway to one-of-kind, personal transformation, occasion pieces. And let’s not forget his delightfully outlandish costume pieces for drag; Watching Hedda Lettuce’s cameo in episode one is the most fun I’ve had watching TV in a long time.

Sundance in the news: everyone’s talking ’bout Quirky

The first episode of Quirky hasn’t even aired yet (that all changes tonight at 9P), and already the Tweeters and bloggers of the Inter-webs have united, and for once it seems like everyone online has only good things to say – about Quirky, at least. Though really, I’m not surprised. I’ve already seen the first two episodes (yeah, I gotta hook-up) and not only is it about one of my dearest loves – design – but it’s one of those shows that you aren’t going to mess around on during the commercial break lest you miss any of the excitement Ben Kaufman and his team of pros is cooking up at the Quirky lab. Seriously, in the first five minutes we see someone send in an idea they had for a product they probably thought up while they were just hanging out on their couch at home and Bam! It gets selected by the Quirky kids and at the end of the episode it’s a real, live and extremely good-looking product you can actually go into a store and buy. And yeah, I’m willing to risk sound like a dork here, but that’s pretty cool, right? The Associated Press thought so, too. Check it:

LUDO BITES AMERICA – Ceviche

Watch LUDO BITES AMERICA Tuesdays at 9P

More masterful cooking from our guest blogger Justin, who, along with his wife, Lori, writes the food blog The Gastronomic Duo, a blog dedicated to couples cooking together in the kitchen and enjoying food with one another in their home.

I’m going to be straightforward here. I think ceviche is best served as the rustic and simple dish that it historically is: a poor man’s meal conceived as a way to get rid of fish and reduce waste on its last palatable day via light pickling. I’m also going to say that when done right, it’s a total delight. That’s why this SUNfiltered post is so exciting to me. When I read the recipe, I wanted to transport myself immediately to my Minneapolis kitchen and try it. I thought, “Wow, this is ceviche taken to the next level.” Milk granita, cucumber water and blackberries. I was delighted to give this recipe a shot. Maybe it would change my viewpoint on ceviche forever.

Redesigning Venice works in theory only

The 2011 Venice CityVision Competition is like lots of other city-based urban redesign contests in that it challenges architects, engineers and designers to come up with innovative ideas that make use of new and sustainable materials and building methods in a way that’s visually arresting and ultra modern while also making reference to the city’s history. It’s a lot to ask, especially when you consider that the winning proposals are hardly ever implemented.

Six Episode Series, Brings Ordinary People’s Million Dollar Ideas to Life. Premiering Tuesday, August 30 at 10 PM ET/PT

Even before Benjamin Franklin tied a key to his kite, being an inventor has been a hard gig to crack. Now, everyone can participate in an invention revolution. Sundance Channel’s new non-fiction series QUIRKY- premiering on Tuesday, August 30th at 10pm ET/PT, chronicles Quirky.com, a product development company founded by 24-year-old visionary Ben Kaufman that gives everyone the freedom to turn their creative idea into a business reality. Every week, scores of people from a worldwide online community submit concepts to Quirky.com. The ideas range from simply genius to totally bizarre, yet each shares the same goal: to create innovative solutions to everyday problems. Like never before, a great idea is all that cou